Big Leaguers Notebook: Sept. 23

Boys & Girls Club named in honor of Victorino

 Shane Victorino grew up visiting his friends at the Boys & Girls Club in Hawaii. Now, the two-time All-Star has a Boys & Girls Club of his own. Victorino and his wife, Melissa, donated $900,000 to build a full-sized gym, game room, teen center, media/technology center, after-school study lounge and kitchen at the Nicetown, Pa., facility, now re-named the Shane Victorino Nicetown Boys & Girls Club (MLB.com).

"To think that a kid in this community will benefit from this Boys & Girls Club means so much to me," said an emotional Victorino. "I will know for the rest of my life that I can come back, say 30 years from now, and have my kids say, 'Look what my dad did for this community.'" (Philadelphia Daily News)

 Want to grow a super 'stache? For an awesome lip sweater like John Axford's, you need Ax Mustache Spray. (YouTube)

 The Royals' Salvador Perez welcomed a very special fan to the ballpark this week -- his mom.

"It's unbelievable. It feels great having my mom here," said Perez, who got to play in front of his mom for the first time since leaving Venezuela to play professional baseball in the United States. "The first day she saw me play, she was so excited. She made me cry." (Kansas City Star)

 Angels closer Jordan Walden, Garrett Richards and Scott Downs got a bird's eye view of the Blue Jays' home turf when they scaled Toronto's Rogers Centre. The relievers climbed to the roof for a walk along the ballpark's catwalk, even stopping to drop a baseball onto the field.

"Looking down was like, 'Oh, my God! This is ridiculous!," said Walden. "It was awesome. A good experience." (Los Angeles Times)

 Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano took a trip downtown for some SoHo stickball with New York City kids. (MLB FanCave)

 When Peter Bourjos was 12 years old, he asked then-Minor Leaguer Vernon Wells to sign a baseball for him at an Arizona Fall League game. Now, the two share the grass in the Angels outfield. (Los Angeles Times)

 Congratulations to Rays infielder Ben Zobrist and his wife, Julianna, on the birth of their daughter, Kruse Allegra. Kruse was named for her paternal great-grandmother, while middle name Allegra, an Italian music reference for "with joy," is a tribute to both her mom's middle name and her singing talents. (St. Petersburg Times)

Tweet of the Day: "Just got in. Long day. And 3 Rays fans found it in their hearts to bring a "We Still Believe" sign to the airport. Thank you we love you!" -- Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (@Evan3Longoria)

Quote of the Day: "It's hard for a player to pick his legacy; that's up to others. But I hope I'm remembered more than anything as a good teammate, as someone my teammates wanted to play with." -- Indians designated hitter Jim Thome, who sat down to talk legacy, lessons and leadership. (The Plain Dealer)

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.